Here’s What Happened to the Goldfish From Broadway’s MARY JANE

Mary Jane, Amy Herzog’s Tony-nominated Best Play which ran at the Friedman Theatre this past season, starred Rachel McAdams in a highly anticipated Broadway debut. But in one emotionally climactic scene at the play’s end, the Oscar-nominated actress was nearly upstaged by an unusual co-star: a goldfish—a live goldfish, which needed a home when the production concluded its limited engagement in June. Enter Nolan Boggess, a Broadway management assistant who is now a proud parent to the scaly “performers” (both the principal and understudy fish). Below, Boggess gives all the details of this unexpected, ultimately heart-warming union.  

Theatrely: How did you come to be in possession of the fish from Broadway's Mary Jane? 

Boggess: My friend Miranda Cornell, who is currently the Associate Director of The Outsiders, sent me an instagram DM from her friend Megumi Nakamura, an actor in Mary Jane, which said the fish from the play needed a new home. I have had a freshwater aquarium for about five years now, which has traveled from Boston to two different Brooklyn apartments. I work on Broadway in company management, so Miranda knew that I was the exact person to say “yes” to something like this. So, I went over to the Friedman Theatre during load-out and worked with the amazing crew to transport the two fish and equipment from the basement of a Broadway theater to my apartment in Brooklyn. 

Do you know anything about the fish's original journey to Mary Jane? 

I can't say I know for certain. What I do know is that the two fish I picked up were, let’s say, not the original fish. But I picked up two fish: one female and one male, who’d been living happily in the basement of the Friedman. They were taken care of super well—the equipment I received checked every box and more. They were taken care of so well with every luxury. 

Did it have a name in the production and have you since renamed it? 

The fish was named Gloria in the show and had a gorgeous little placard on the tank with its name. The placard also mentions "understudies." As I mentioned, I don't know how many Glorias the production went through. I have now renamed them “Mary” and “Jane.” 

Did the fish have an understudy? Eight shows a week is grueling, after all! 

They had two fish the entire time: one main performing fish and one understudy.

The fish is ultimately part of a hugely moving, important moment in the play. Does that have any impact on how you see your pet?  

It does! I actually gasped when Rachel McAdams brought out the fish in the play, because I had no idea it was coming. I have to say, the logistics of taking care of a fish backstage on Broadway did cross my mind for a split-second. I think the audience's wonderment at such a small being is really beautiful. Mary Jane gets the fish for her son, who is in the hospital, as a way to hopefully bring life and energy into such a sterile and sickly environment. I think any pet can have this brightening effect. But I really think pet fish are unique because you get to see them and their whole world together. Someone has to curate an environment for the fish to thrive. I get so much joy out of taking care of my tank and curating this environment. 

How have the fish taken to life away from the lights of Broadway, at home with you in Brooklyn? 

Now that the fish are at my home in a tank with my other fish, I joke that it is both a union and non-union tank. Whenever I have guests over, I share that Rachel McAdams looked into the eyes of these fish every single night. That impresses my friends but I do not think the fish have any diva complex. 

Absolutely anything else you want to share about this quirky, ultimately heartwarming story? 

I just want to shout out to the incredible crew and company at Mary Jane for taking such great care of these fish and for allowing me to give them a forever home.